THE MAQUINTO SAGA -- THERE MUST BE CHANGES AT THE G.A.B.
By Ed de la Vega, DDS
PhilBoxing.com
Sat, 04 Feb 2012
Those of us who are close to the sweet science are fully aware that once in a great while unfortunate injuries happen in boxing.
These injuries can range from a loss of a tooth that may cost a few hundred pesos to replace to the debilitating effects of concussions that may lead to death.
Surely, because of the innate nature of the ?sport? these accidents can not be totally prevented.
But there are ways to minimize their impact and perhaps save the athletes from the disfiguring effects of the injuries and/or even death.
Case in point: Karlo Maquinto (RIP)
Reports indicate that several things were neglected that may have contributed to the injury of Maquinto.
Of course by now it?s all hind sight and nothing much can be done to undo what led to Maquinto?s untimely death.
But could the accident been prevented?
We will never know.
But what we know is there are ways and means of preventing it from happening again or at the very least minimize the consequences if it happens again.
For that to occur there must be a change.
And change must start at the top specifically, the Boxing Division.
Command responsibility, you know.
It is the GAB?s Boxing division?s responsibility to assure that all safety measures are in place before the first bell rings. They should never leave that to the promoters as these people don?t have the expertise.
Besides, if no one is checking very closely because of economics, promoters will tend hire the cheapest service providers who may end up providing inadequate services.
It would not be a surprise if that was true in the case of the fight card that involved Maquinto.
It is obvious from the reports that the people at the GAB Boxing division failed to do the close monitoring of the ambulance service.
Given that, I believe they failed to do their job. That alone should be enough reason for them to be replaced with more assiduous people.
The GAB people should have assured that medical emergency equipment and personnel covering the fight that night are up to standards.
These include among others, a wholly equipped and functional ambulance manned by fully trained and certified para-medics.
The GAB should have a list of people who provide these services and they must pre-check their credentials to determine their capabilities to provide such services. They must also check and certify their ambulances to assure that they fall within the standards.
From this list, promoters can pick an outfit to cover their fight card.
Further, the GAB must also ensure that the ring physicians in attendance have a background in traumatic/emergency medicine. All things being equal, these physicians are more apt to make quick decisions in cases where a slight hesitation brought about by inexperience can mean the difference between life and death.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Ed de la Vega, DDS.
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